Nivada Grenchen evokes the ’50s with 35mm cases for the Antarctic Spider and Super Antarctic
Buffy Acacia- The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider and Super Antarctic have been given their most vintage-accurate references yet.
- The 35mm case diameter will be loved by those with smaller wrists or sticklers for the original sizing.
- The manually wound Landeron L21 helps it to be just 10.1mm tall including the sapphire crystal.
You’d think that reviving a Swiss watch brand would be a recipe for instant success, but it’s not that simple. Not every company that folded or was sold off in the ‘70s and ‘80s actually made watches worth reissuing, however Nivada Grenchen definitely did. Most of its modern catalogue is made up of accurate reissues, with tweaks for modern convenience and variation. Most people appreciate a boost in case diameter from the vintage days, however the latest references of the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider and Super Antarctic stick to a modest 35mm case size.
Case sizes are a personal preference for every watch owner, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t societal norms in place. They’ve evolved quickly over the last few decades, but anything less than 36mm is generally dismissed as being too small by most men. Of course, that wasn’t the case in the ‘50s and ‘60s. True vintage examples of the Nivada Grenchen Super Antarctic and the Antarctic Spider tend to be around 34mm-34.5mm, which was the most common diameter for a slightly dressy sports watch at the time. At 35mm, the new versions hit a much more accurate effect than the previous 38mm references, but still eek out just a tiny bit more wrist presence than the originals. The two cases are both identical, with a lug-to-lug distance of 41.9mm and a thickness of just 10.1mm.
When you think of mid-century watch design, there are a few essentials. Crisp lines, spacious dials, and some kind of quirky element are all classic hallmarks of the ‘50s and ‘60s. The Nivada Grenchen Super Antarctic does evoke an “exploration” quality, with the slightly bulbous handset neatly pointing to the clean, angular indices. It’s far closer to the 1950s side of the spectrum. Even the printed text looks like it’s been pulled right from the vintage watches, with a pleasingly hand-done quality to them, and the “18 Rubis” line prioritising the movement specifications rather than water resistance. Both of the new 35mm references sport black dials, but one has white luminous markers, while the other has beige.
Advertisements for the Antarctic’s spider dial configuration started popping up around the mid ‘60s, and you can see how it earned its nickname. Other than the crosshair which runs the length of the cardinal directions, eight lines split off in the direction of the hour markers. After the dots that serve to ground the dial and provide a bit of luminous paint, applied indices then stretch vertically out from the line, making them look like spider legs. If you squint, it’s easy to imagine the Spider-Man symbol, or the horrifying underwater creature that gave it its name. The horizontal balance is maintained by having the brand text at 9 and a date window cutout at 3, with a magnifier for the date. These are available either in a timeless matte black or a silver sunburst look, both completed by off-white lume for an aged effect.
Vintage watch enthusiasts may read the name of the Nivada Grenchen Antarctic’s movement and get excited, however the Landeron 21 doesn’t actually have anything in common with the previously legendary Landeron. Given the size of the case in both its humble diameter and slender thickness, the Landeron 21 seems to be based on the ETA 2804-2. It boasts a smooth 4Hz beat rate across its 36-hour power reserve, and it’s a hand-wound movement giving you that authentic old-school experience each day. The caseback is solid, describing some of the specifications in a ring around a stylised penguin relief engraving.
Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider and Super Antarctic 35mm pricing and availability
The Nivada Grenchen Antarctic Spider and Super Antarctic 35mm are available now from the Time+Tide Shop. Price: US$850 (on leather or rubber)
| Brand | Nivada Grenchen |
| Model | Super Antarctic Antarctic Spider |
| Reference | 35014M40 35013M40 35011M17 35012M17 |
| Case Dimensions | 35mm (D) x 10.1mm (T) x 41.9mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Matte black, silver sunburst |
| Dial | Sapphire front |
| Strap | Leather or rubber strap, steel pin buckle Steel bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | Landeron 21, hand-wound |
| Power Reserve | 36 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds (Super Antarctic) Hours, minutes, seconds, date (Antarctic Spider) |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$850 (leather or rubber) |